Slum Online (Slum Online (Novel-Paperback))

*Slum Online* is an interesting journey into the psyche of a young man who is a dedicated player of an online MMO that is basically an online martial arts fighting game.At least one source I read described there being "cyberpunk" in the story. I don't really think it is there. It has some elements similar in the main character Etsuro (Tetsuo is his avatar in *Versus Town*) being on the fringes of society at first. That said, it is not a dystopian work, and the existence of any real fantastical element is debatable. Of course, how one of the characters acts, especially in the bonus short story, is indicative of being clever to the point of something perhaps mystical. What's more, how they can act at the edge of the rules of the game seems somewhat magical. Or it was just a dream. Maybe magic, maybe mundane, might put it.Then again, perhaps this was the genius of the author (who also wrote the popular *All You Need Is Kill*) in how he wrote the story. We have a first-person, deeply personal struggle on Etsuro's part to examine his life and to balance being true to his own self with a possible budding romance with a young girl he knows, named Fumiko. He has a goal to reach in the game, but is falling hard for Fumiko.One of the challenges that Etsuro faces is that he seems to have some issues that he struggles with in terms of psychological stuff. He thinks in game terms of the world around him, views games as a way to measure himself and find meaning beyond even what I imagine most people do. All of this leads to some mental struggle to overcome on his own part, and threatens his relationship with his new girlfriend.Both in terms of being better-adjusted, and in terms of interests and view of the world, Fumiko seems to be his opposite. Yet they get along well. In the end, the two learn to balance each other out and accept each others' idiosyncrasies. Of course, this is only possible because Etsuro opens up to her finally and they move forward.One thing I liked was how this book did portrayed online gaming in an ambivalent manner. It can be good *or* bad. Just like any other hobby (such as Fumiko's love of movies), there's nothing wrong with it. What makes our hobbies good or bad are how we balance them with the rest of our lives.I truly recommend this engaging and thoughtful book that examines some real meaty stuff, and is also a fun slice of life story of a young man's growth into, perhaps, a better person.Rating: 5/5 Stars.

Slum Online by Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka is a standalone novel depicting the life of Etsuro Sakagami - a young man obsessed with becoming the best gamer in the MMO Versus Town.Etsuro is a normal young college student. He spends his days (sometimes) attending his classes, commuting on the train through the bustling streets of Japan, and his nights as Tetsuo - the karate master with the ambition of being the absolute best in Versus Town. When a new, mysterious player named "Ganker Jack" comes to the game and starts defeating the strongest players, Etsuro sets his character Tetsuo after him in an attempt to beat the one who beat the best. All the while dealing with a new female classmate that he may or may not like.I had very high hopes for this novel. I am a huge fan of the author's other novel, All You Need is Kill, so when I discovered he had written a novel about gamers I was excited to begin reading it.Unfortunately, I find myself a little disappointed. The writing was terrific, especially considering it's been translated from Japanese, but the main character was stoic throughout most of the novel and very hard to relate to. Etsuro is a very intelligent character, but squanders his intellect by morosely speculating on the world around him and, for the most part, ignoring the prospect of an actual human connection with his classmate who very clearly likes him until the end when he felt he was done playing his game. I felt the novel would be infinitely better if Etsuro had been someone who could actually emote.It's very rare to find a novel that paints gamers in a good light, which Slum Online does pretty well, but also very hard to find one that also creates interesting characters that capture the affection of the reader.

I want to rate this higher, because there are few books that deal directly with the online and virtual behaviour in any real way. However this is simply not that book. Relatively short at only around 200 pages, it fails to deal with any of the concepts introduced in any real way, and falls into some very typical traps.First and foremost among these is perhaps the cardinal sin of writing about virtual worlds. This being that everybody that means anything to the story that Etsuro meets online, he either knows or meets in "real-life". This is not a case of them being friends, or related in some other fashion, it is purely 'coincidence'. Which for the MMO Versus Town, that the book indicates is played world-wide, this 'coincidence' is just entirely silly. However it is a trap many similar books also fall into.If that was the novels only problem, I could brush it aside. However the novel is also directionless. It deals with some very real problems, but does nothing to investigate them, to ask any real questions. It spends some time introducing Etsuro and indicating he is skirting a line of computer game addiction, which he falls into over the course of the novel. But it never questions this, noone ever seeks answers, noone questions whether this is right or wrong. Conflict between characters is shallow, particularly that with his girlfriend, his only link left to real-life. And once Etsuro's goal is achieved, his addiction and other events just automatically resolve, as if there was never a problem to begin with.All in all the book is reasonable, and a sufficiently entertaining afternoons read. However it is nothing more than that, which is a pity because it does introduce some interesting concepts otherwise.

This was recommended to me by a friend who games a lot, and I did enjoy the book. It's got a unique style to the way things are portrayed in the virtual realm, and the main character is likeable. I enjoyed the small mysteries that were happening, but I can't say this book had a deep resonating message that I will think of again and again. Overall an easy and entertaining read.

I've got mixed feelings about Slum Online. On one hand, it's one of the better examples of light novels that have made their way over to these shores - and the translation is handled well. If you're looking for a book that handles just exactly what it's like to be a hardcore gamer, then there's none better than this. Fans of shows like Sword Art Online will find plenty to love here.Where the book falls down is its plot - it's difficult to follow at times and the ending will likely leave you feeling unfulfilled. But where the novel succeeds is through a constant sense of atmosphere - it's written with a clinical style that's frighteningly distant at times; capturing the atrophied emotions and psychological meanderings of an individual more at home in a virtual world than the real one. So, ultimately, a far from perfect work - but one that will leave you with plenty to chew over once it's finished, especially if you're a gamer yourself.

An interesting story about how obsessive online virtual games play can affect your real world life. A short novel so it was a quick read and I enjoyed the look at Japanese student life/ Japanese society.

After reading this and all you need is kill it's clear to see the author has a knack of easy to read books you can finish on your lazy Sunday. I could not stop reading as the book had me intrigued till the end.

Das Buch ist spannend und alle die in ihrer Jugend mit Konsolen oder PCs gezockt haben oder dies immer noch tun fühlen sich direkt angesprochen. Es bildet erstaunlich detailgetreu die Gefühlswelt eines "Gamers" ab und ich bin mir sicher, dass sich schon viele in diesem Buch auf die ein oder andere Weise wiedergefunden haben.Nur ein Manko gibt es: Sound FXIch weiß nicht ob es der Übersetzung aus dem Japanischen ins Englische geschuldet ist, oder ob der Lektor mit dem Kopf auf seiner Tastatur geschlafen hat, aber dieser Begriff wird deutlich überstrapaziert. Daher ein Stern Abzug.

Adorei esse livro, uma ficção muito real em termos de jovens lidando com a vida virtual x real. Recomendo e muito.I loved this book. A great read that lets you into the mind of a young gamer.